BS in Nursing - Accelerated Program

The faculty of the School of Nursing recognizes the desire of people with baccalaureate degrees in disciplines other than nursing to become nurses and has designed an accelerated program that leads to a B.S. in nursing in 15 months of full-time study.

Requirements

This program admits students, through a competitive admissions process, who have attained a minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale in their prior degree. Students must complete statistics and anatomy and physiology prior to beginning the program. (More detailed information is available on the Learn More tab)

Required Courses:

Courses

Credits

BIO 345 Pathophysiology

3

CON 252 Human Nutrition

3

CON 302 Pharmacology

3

CON 321 Health Related Research

3

CON 356 Concepts in Community Health

3

NUR 211 Nursing Role

3

NUR 300 Health Assessment

2

NUR 301 Health Assessment Lab

1

NUR 306 Nursing Arts and Science

3

NUR 305 Fundamentals of Nursing Lab

2

NUR 323 Adult/Older Adult Health Nursing

3

NUR 325 Adult/Older Adult Health Nursing Lab

4

NUR 330 Mental Health Nursing

3

NUR 331 Mental Health Nursing Lab

2

NUR 332 Nursing Care of the Older Adult in the Community

3

NUR 413 Advanced Nursing Skills Lab

1

NUR 421 Reproductive and Sexual Health Nursing

3

NUR 422 Reproductive and Sexual Health Nursing Lab

2

NUR 423 Management of Critically Ill Adult/Older Adult

3

NUR 425 Management of Critically Ill Adult/Older Adult Lab

2

NUR 427Child Health Nursing

3

NUR 428 Child Health Nursing Lab

2

NUR 436 Community Nursing Partnership I

2

NUR 437 Community Nursing Partnership II

2

NUR 470 Leadership and Management and Ethics

3

NUR 480 Practicum/Care Management

3

Retention Policies

All policies applicable to students in the baccalaureate program (refer to Retention and Progression policies for the baccalaureate program) also apply to students in the Accelerated BS program.

Students in the Accelerated BS program are required to maintain GPA of 2.75, A student who is unable to maintain a grade point average of 2.75 but whose average remains above 2.5 is on probation within the School of Nursing. Such a student may take support courses until his or her grade point average has been restored to the level of 2.75 or above, at which point progress in nursing lecture and clinical courses may resume. A student who is unable to maintain a grade point average of 2.5 will not be allowed to maintain matriculation in the School of Nursing and will be required to either change majors, be suspended, or be dismissed from the University according to its policies.

The lowest acceptable grade in required NUR/CON courses and their prerequisite courses is a grade of C. If placed on probation, a student has a maximum of two semesters to achieve a satisfactory cumulative GPA or the student will be suspended or dismissed. While on probation, the minimum semester GPA accomplished must be the GPA for good standing according to the number of credits earned (see above) or the student will be suspended. A student is suspended for one semester; the student will be dismissed at the end of the next enrolled semester if the GPA requirement is not met.

Progression Policies

Nursing lecture and clinical course combinations must be taken concurrently the first time a student is enrolled in each course. A grade of C- or below in a nursing lecture course or an F in a nursing clinical course (see low pass policy) will stop the student from registering for any other NUR clinical, NUR lecture or partnership course. In addition, students who receive a failing grade in a required lecture or clinical course which finishes partway through the semester (or students who withdraw from a required lecture or clinical course partway through the semester) will be withdrawn from all other concurrent lecture or clinical courses (required or elective). The student must achieve a grade of C or better, or a passing clinical grade in the course which is repeated before entering the next nursing lecture,/clinical course combination or partnership. A course may be repeated only once.

A student may repeat a maximum of two CON or NUR required courses, clinical or didactic, in which the student receives a grade of C- or less. An unsatisfactory grade in a third CON or NUR required course will result in dismissal from the nursing program. If a student receives an F in an elective NUR clinical course, they may not register to repeat that clinical elective or enroll in any other NUR clinical elective without permission of the Director of the School of Nursing.

The Undergraduate Admissions and Advancement Committee will review the academic record of any student who receives unsatisfactory grades in a given semester as follows:

2. A C-, D, F or L in one or more prerequisite, nursing and/or support course(s) when repeating the course due to an unsatisfactory grade;

3. An F in a nursing clinical or partnership course.

Academic actions may include probation, suspension or dismissal from nursing and/or the University. Matters of personal concern to the student will be considered. The Committee will recommend to the Director a decision regarding progression or dismissal. Appeals may be made to the Undergraduate Admissions and Advancement Committee. A request for exception to the policy must be initiated by the student.

The School of Nursing reserves the right to accept and retain only those students who satisfy the requirements of scholarship and health necessary for nursing. A student who admits to or is found guilty of a violation of the American Nurses' Association guidelines for ethical practice (see School of Nursing Student Handbook) is subject to suspension or dismissal from the University. The Maine State Board of Nursing may refuse to grant a license on the basis of violation of academic or professional integrity or on the basis of criminal history record information relating to convictions denominated in Title 5, Chapter 341, Subsection 5301 of the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated.

Low Pass Grades

Low pass (LP) grades are used in clinical and partnership courses to inform students whose performance is near failing. Students are held accountable to address the weaknesses identified in their performance appraisal with subsequent clinical and partnership faculty. A second low pass grade constitutes an F and stops progression in clinical, didactic and partnership coursework (see above progression policies).

Incomplete Grades

A temporary grade may be assigned by a faculty member when a student, because of extraordinary circumstances, has failed to complete course requirements in a nursing course or CON required course. Incomplete grades in upper division nursing courses must be completed with a letter grade of C or better before progressing to the next course.

Graduation Requirements

To be eligible for graduation with a bachelor of science degree with a major in nursing, the student must have successfully completed all requirements, and a minimum of 120-128 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 2.75.

Commitment to Civility

The concepts of community and social justice are central to the mission and philosophy of the University of Southern Maine School of Nursing. Faculty, students, and staff are committed to promoting a healthy and just environment that supports transformative learning, academic integrity, open communication, and personal and professional growth among the diverse members of our academic community. We believe that these commitments are grounded in intellectual openness, in personal and professional accountability, and in the democratic values of inclusivity and mutual respect which are guided by rational discourse and by a relational ethic of care.

We are grateful for the opportunities to learn and work with peoples of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, cultural, political, social and economic backgrounds as well as with people who are disabled and people of different gender, sexual orientation, and age. Acknowledging the ethics and values that underlie the health professions, it is our belief that these ethics and values should be recognized, practiced, and cultivated in our learning and work environments. Our goal is to increase the awareness of students, staff, and faculty to the importance of civility, its implications, and the behaviors that are acceptable and not acceptable in our learning community.

Civility is the art of treating others, as well as ourselves, with respect, dignity, and care. Civility is apparent when we are sensitive to the impact that our communications, practices, and behaviors have on others, and when we acknowledge each person's self-worth and unique contributions to the community as a whole.

As members of the School, we are committed to learning and practicing in ways that support a caring and socially just community. The following are examples of how we create and sustain civility.

Support the autonomy and just treatment of self and others by facilitating an open, respectful, and caring environment.

Accept responsibility and accountability for one's own behavior when interacting with students, faculty, and staff.

Respect and protect the rights and property of others.

Speak or behave in a manner that does not disrupt or interfere with the learning or work of others.

Practice personal and academic integrity and expect it from others.

Demonstrate respect for others by actively discouraging discriminatory conduct, bigotry, violence, coercion or intimidation against any member of the academic community.

Demonstrate a willingness to listen and be open to hearing the perspectives of others. This includes actively seeking to hear from and making a safe space for voices of dissent.

Explore controversial issues through open dialogue and respectful deliberation.

Respect freedom of expression while recognizing that such tolerance does not require agreement with expressed ideas.

Engage institutional resources and persons to resolve conflict when necessary.

We will not tolerate harassing or discriminatory conduct of any form. Everyone has the responsibility to foster a safe and supportive learning and work environment. This committment can include any individual asking others to stop disrespectful or abusive speech and/or disruptive behavior. Collectively, faculty, staff, and students in the School of Nursing are responsible for ensuring a safe and supportive learning and work environment.